Culinary Creations from The Last Frontier

Today has been a fantastic day. In fact it has been a fantastic weekend. Friday night was Valentine’s Day, and the Man and I had an incredible dinner downtown–Cordova oysters with chimichurri (I have to admit that I now like Cordova oysters better than those from Kachemak Bay), an ahi poke “cocktail”, then scallops in … [Follow your taste buds…]

Jalapeno poppers are–without a doubt–the best bar food ever to grace this green earth. Have you ever tried to make jalapeno poppers though? It takes forever. You have to make the filling, seed and gut the jalapenos, fill the jalapenos with the filling, dip in flour, dip in egg, dip in crust, then bake. It’s … [Follow your taste buds…]

I am always on the lookout for new and unique treats to make. The criteria generally requires that the new tasty treat is a combination or reinvention of an already tried-and-true classic. These little bites fit the bill perfectly–pumpkin meets cheesecake meets salted caramel. Hold on to your hats, friends, they are absolutely incredible. … [Follow your taste buds…]

We spent a couple of days on Mackinac Island this summer, which is famous for its fudge. Never mind the fact that there are no cars on the island resulting with a trip back to the 1800s where horses ruled the roads and people took time to get places. I fell in love with Mackinac … [Follow your taste buds…]

Buddy the Elf has his sugar food groups. Therefore, I find it perfectly appropriate to have my own carbohydrate food groups–dairy, bread, sugar, and wine. After all, ’tis the season for (not so) guilt-free indulging. I am fairly certain that pizza fits all of those food groups, except for wine, but there’s a quick remedy … [Follow your taste buds…]

One of my favorite smells is cinnamon. It can be straight out of the bottle, sauteing on the stove, or baking in the oven–I love it. It smells of comfort, warmth, and love. I really love cinnamon in the fall when all of the chaos of summer travel has come to an end, it’s time … [Follow your taste buds…]

I don’t know if a Sunday has ever gone by without my dad eating poached eggs. His Sunday morning breakfast is as routine as brushing his teeth. I’ve never really been one for traditional breakfast meals and much prefer cereal with berries and yogurt. After 30 years though, I suppose it is time I get … [Follow your taste buds…]

I didn’t believe them. I really didn’t. I thought that all of the bloggers and foodies that gush about zucchini noodles and how amaaaaaazing and perfectly al dente and no one will ever know it’s good for you were completely off their rockers. Moment of humility here–they were right!! These zoodles were a culinary surprise. … [Follow your taste buds…]

I don’t even know how or where to begin to describe my life-long obsession with granola. The endless combinations of oats, nuts, dried fruits, and different spices are nothing short of exhilarating). I also love granola because it can be enjoyed dry, with milk, or with any kind of yogurt (which is also nothing short … [Follow your taste buds…]

Aside from a really good Caesar, I kind of hate salad. Well, I like most of the ingredients, I just hate all of the processed salad dressings that generally go on top of a homemade salad. Why smother all of those fresh veggies, nutrients, and goodness with the chemicals found in a low-fat, zero flavor … [Follow your taste buds…]